Door positioner



J. V. FISHER DOOR POSITIONER July 21, 1970 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1968 l-llllllllIl lll' l'l.

July 21., 1970 -J.V..F|SHER DOOR PosiTIoNER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb 12', 1968 United States Patent v O 3,521,319 DOOR POSITIONER Julian Vernon Fisher, Carpentersville, Ill., assignor to Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 704,770 Int. Cl. Ed 11/08 US. Cl. 16-141 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates generally to improve -ments in devices for maintaining or positioning tiltable doors, as for example the tiltable doors commonly employed on the front side of an automatic clothes dryer, in a predetermined angle of tilt with respect to the front surface of the dryer. One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in the accompanying drawings consists of a plate-like member having flange means for fixed attachment to a vertical section of a door supporting frame, said plate-like member having a lug or protuberance projecting laterally from the plane of the member into an arcuate slot of a second plate-like member having flange means for attachment thereof to the marginal section of a tiltable door frame. It is often desirable to position door members of the type contemplated hereby in a position of tilt which is intermediate the completely open horizontal position of the door and its normal vertical closed position. To accomplish this, an elongate member or arm is interposed between the opposed extremities of the tiltable plate member and is so shaped that as the tiltable plate member is shifted, the underside or edge of the elongate member will ride along and frictionally engage the upper surface of the protuberance or lug. A recess or indentation provided along the underside of the elongate member is adapted to receive and interlock with the protuberance to secure the pivotable plate and the door member associated therewith in a predetermined desired position of tilt. The location of indentations as well as the number thereof along the underside of the elongate member will determine the variation in degree of tilt or inclination which may be occupied by the door.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is often desirable in the use of automatic clothes dryers to adjust the position of tilt or inclination of the front door of the dryer, and to this end the present invention contemplates an extremely simple, efliciently operable device in the vicinity of the hinge or pivotal mounting for the door.

More specifically, the present invention contemplates a positioning device of the type referred to above which may be incorporated in the hinged members which support the dryer.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description, wherein:

FIG. 1 discloses in perspective a fragmentary portion of the front of an automatic clothes dryer which is equipped with a door positioning device of the type contemplated by the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the positioning device of the present invention as viewed along the line 22 of FIG. 3, wherein the pivoted or tiltable dryer door is shown in closed position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pair of hinge plates equipped with an elongate positioning member and positioning protuberance of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the hinge plate, positioning arm, and protuberance taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 2, showing the dryer door in open position as distinguished from the closed position of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the door member tilted or inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the stationary hinge plate equipped with the struck-out lug adapted to frictionally engage the underside or edge of the positioning arm carried by the pivotally mounted hinge plate;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the shiftable hinge plate and the elongate positioning member associated therewith; and

FIG. 10 is a side-elevational view of an elongate posi tioning member or strip of modified form which is adapted to secure an associated pivotally mounted or tiltable door member in one of at least three positions of tilt as distinguished from the previously described elongate member having a single recess or indentation designed to hold the door at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that the door positioning mechanism contemplated by the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 12. The device 12 comprises essentially three parts, a first stationary hinge plate member 14, a second shiftable hinge plate member 16 pivotally mounted upon the plate 14 by a pivot element 18 and an elongate laterally yieldable member or arm 20 secured at each extremity by suitable fastener members or rivets 22 and 24. It has been found practical to form the elongate member or arm 20 from suitable firmly yieldable plastic material. In that event the arm 20 and the fastener or rivet members 22 and 24 associated therewith may be formed integral. The rivet portion may be snapped into position within complementary apertures formed in the hinge plate 16. An arcuate slot 26 in the hinge plate 16 is adapted to accommodate a lug or protuberance 28 which in the disclosed embodiment is struck from the material of the plate 14.

The plate-like member 14 is provided with a flange 30 adapted to be secured by suitable fasteners to the interior surface of the frame structure 32 of an automatic dryer illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The companion plate-like hinge member 16 is also provided with a flange 34 adapted to be secured by suitable fastening members or rivets to the inner surface of a tiltable door member 36.

It will be noted that the elongate member or arm 20 is so positioned and so shaped that as the door 36 moves between its normal closed position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to its open position shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the edge of the arm 20 will frictionally slide along the surface of the lug 28. The provision of the arcuate slot 26 in the plate member 16 provides clearance for the lug or protuberance 28. As the door 36 moves from its closed position toward its open position, the underside or edge of the elongate member or strip 20 will move into frictional engagement with the protuberance 28 and ultimately and automatically interlock with the protuberance, due to the presence of a recess 38. It will be noted that the arm 20 is generally L-shaped so that when the door 36 is fully open position in FIG. 5 toward its closed position, the the arm which extends laterally from the remaining larger extent thereof, FIG. 5. As the plate 16 is pivoted from its open position in FIG. 5 toward its closed position, the

lug is aggressively engaged by the under edge of the arm 20 as the detent 38 approaches said lug and therefore upon registration with the lug, the arm will spring from the dotand-dash position of FIG. 5 to the solid line position shown in FIG. 7. The recess or indentation 38 of the arm 20 is defined by cam surfaces 39 which will permit unlatching of the member 20 when desired. As shown in FIG. 7, the recess 38 of the arm 20 interlocks with the protuberance 28 with sufficient aggressiveness to prevent any unauthorized movement of the door from the 45 degree position.

In FIG. 10, an arm or elongate member 20a of modified form is shown. This arm is provided with three indentations instead of one so as to enable the selective positioning of the door at one of three angles of tilt. The lug 28 is shown in dotted lines to indicate the manner in which it would be engaged by the indentations of the arm 20a to secure the arm and its associated plate 16 in a selected position of tilt.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a very simple yet practical device for securing a pivoted door member such as the door of an automatic dryer in a desired position or angle of inclination. By employing the simple expedient of a resilient arm or elongated member which is sutficiently yieldable laterally to flex upon engagement thereof with the fixed lug on the stationary hinge member, the door may be very effectively secured in a desired angle of inclination or tilt as previously explained. In instances where increased frictional engagement of the elongate arm with the stationary plate member is desired, said arm may be fiexed laterally as shown in FIG. 5. With this construction, it is necessary to overcome the added lateral resiliency of the arm in moving the pivotally mounted plate member 16 from one position to another. The elongate members 20 and 20a may be formed from one of the commercially available resinous polymers, such as nylon, acetal, etc.

While for purposes of illustration certain structural embodiments have been disclosed herein, it should be understood that other modifications and changes are contemplated without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A door positioning device for a tiltable door member, as for example the tiltable door of an automatic clothes dryer, including a first plate-like member for fixed attachment to a door supporting frame, a second platelike member pivotally connected to and disposed in substantial parallelism with said first plate-like member, said second plate-like member having means for fixed attachment to the structure of a complementary tiltable door member, a positioning protuberance connected to and extending laterally from one of said plate-like members, and a laterally yieldable elongated member secured at each extremity thereof to the other plate-like member, said elongated member and protuberance being relatively disposed for slidable and frictional engagement with each other whereby to locate an associated door member in a predetermined position of tilt with respect to its complementary door opening.

2. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the positioning protuberance extends laterally from the first plate-like member and the elongate member is connected to the second plate-like member.

3. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the positioning protuberance extending laterally from one of said plate-like members is adapted to project into an arcuate slot in the other plate-like member.

4. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the positioning protuberance extends laterally from the first plate-like member, and the elongate member is carried by the second plate-like member, said second plate-like member being provided with an arcuate slot for accommodating said protuberance.

5. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elongate member constitutes a strip of material secured at its opposite extremities and having an edge portion adapted for engagement with the protuberance, said elongate member being laterally yieldable in response to engagement thereof with said protuberance.

6. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said elongate member intermediate its extremities is provided with a recess for accommodating said protuberance to maintain an associated door member in a predetermined position of inclination.

7. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the elongate member is generally L-shaped and is laterally yieldable in response to engagement thereof with said protuberance.

8. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lower portions of said plate-like members are pivotally connected.

9. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second plate-like members are provided with attachment flange means.

10. A door positioning device as set forth in claim 1 wherein a margin of said elongate member which is adapted to engage said protuberance is provided with a plurality of recesses for selectively accommodating said protuberance to maintain an associated door member in a selected angle of inclination.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,196,480 7/1965 Whittom l6141 3,378,880 4/1968 Haldopoulos et a1 16142 2,892,209 6/1959 Condit 16l40 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 126l94 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,5 ,3 9 Dated J ly 21, 1970 l fl Julian Vernon Fisher It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 68, cancel the entire line and substitute therefor: -opened the lug or abutment 28 will engage the portion of-- SIGNED MIL- SEAIB DICT 271970 SEAL Atmat:

EdwardbLFletdamlt. WILLIAM E. JR. Attggfing 0m C-omissioner of Patents FOPM PO-IQSO (\0-69] USCOMM-DC 60376-1 69 n u s covznnnzm rnmrmc omcz: ll" O-JIi-lll 

